You'll experience tastes, sights and sounds that can only be found in Japan.

Indie travel tips for Japan

Come with an open mind to food and your taste buds will thank you - some of the most amazing (and unusual) food in world is served in Japan.

When looking for places to eat, check out university cafeterias (called shokudou) for cheap eats, family-run izakaya for to rub elbows with local Japanese, and jovial izakaya for barbecue and drinks with the locals.

Save some money in this expensive country by Couchsurfing - you'll find plenty of very hospitable hosts.

Japan has extremely low crime rates, so it's one country where it's relatively safe to hitchhike (always exercise caution of course).

Make sure you experience one of Japan's famous hot springs baths.

Transportation

Most travel to Japan begins and ends with a flight to Tokyo. Our handy search engine is the best place to start pricing flights and other destinations throughout Japan.

Accommodation

Once you arrive in the country your accommodation options are nearly unlimited. You might have heard that Japan is an expensive country. It certainly is. You can minimize the pain by looking for the best rates on hostels in Japan. They are a great way to save money in Japan and are reliable clean and quiet.

Japan Travel Guide Top Picks

Budget Scale

Editor Rating: $75UD per day - Japan can certainly be a very expensive city, but there are plenty of tips out there to help keep costs down. Plan on spending about $75/day to have a comfortable travel experience.

Indie Travel Scale

Editor Rating: 7 - Japan has lots of opportunities for independent travel experiences. It has that perfect mix of western influence and foreign, "What's going on here?" feel. Get out of Tokyo and into the smaller towns to keep costs down and get away from other western tourists.